


A Burning Flame

by Clouds_In_The_Sky



Category: Original Work
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Demons, Fantasy, Fluff and Angst, Gen, I made a whole ass magic system for this, M/M, Magic, Mental Breakdown, Panic Attacks, Pre-Relationship, Pre-Slash, Worldbuilding, first chapter has art at the end
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-01
Updated: 2021-01-22
Packaged: 2021-03-06 19:14:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,196
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26174029
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Clouds_In_The_Sky/pseuds/Clouds_In_The_Sky
Summary: Zafeiri thought it was a good idea to go beyond from what they're allowed to. It was not.
Relationships: Original Male Character/Original Male Character
Comments: 2
Kudos: 5





	1. Passionate Love

**Author's Note:**

> For this setting, this is their race.
> 
> Fraus = Tiefling/Demon (however you want to call it lol).  
> Zafeiri = High Elf.

Fraus never thought that he would find an outsider.

Fraus never thought that he would befriend an outsider.

Fraus never thought that he would actually like them.

Fraus thought it was impossible.

Until now.

He knelt down in front of the river, cleaning all the dirty clothes and wooden dishes. His mind was filled with thoughts about Zafeiri. Zafeiri, the lost, elven bard. He was the first outsider that Fraus ever befriended. Also the first that Mother allowed into their house. He dreamt about his silver hair, with blue tips, dancing in the wind as Zafeiri sang him a song. He fell deep into his eyes, which sparkled like sapphires under the sun. He smiled whenever he heard all about his friend's jokes and stories. 

Lately, every time he dreamed of him, he always felt something in his stomach. It wasn't a rumble, nor grumble. It was like something swirled and fluttered inside. Like butterflies. It wasn't the only thing that happened. Whenever Zafeiri compliments him, he could feel his face flush hot, and his heart racing. Not only that, but he kept on thinking of Zafeiri. The way his nimble hands strummed the lute, his small little fang that's always visible whenever he talks, his melodious voice. It haunted him, yet in a good way. He also felt some sort of pull to him. He couldn't understand this phenomenon at all. He always got distracted whenever he tried to think of it. 

Fraus shook his head, in an attempt to focus on what he was doing right now. Once he was done, he carried the basket of damp clothes, along with the clean dishes by using his tail, back to the cabin.

When he came back, he saw Zafeiri, who napped on Fraus's bed. Fraus's face flushed when he saw his face, but decided to go on with what he had to do. He went outside from the back, where it was sunny and windy. Perfect. He set down the wooden plates and utensils onto the cut tree trunk near the door, so they would dry. Then, hung the damp clothes over the rope separately. The wind breezed on his chest. While doing so, he, again, kept on thinking about Zafeiri. But he always tried to brush those dreams away. They weren't necessary for his life, yet he couldn't resist it. 

He remembered the moment Zafeiri taught him the Elvish language. It was a quiet morning. Mother was out to gather food and herbs. Fraus had to stay, since she didn't trust the outsider that much. They didn't have a lot to do, and they were on friendly terms. Then, Zafeiri suggested learning each other's languages. It worked out quite nicely, though he still had a hard time pronouncing some words correctly. That was two years ago, but he remembered it like it was yesterday.

Fraus went back inside, his mind still clouded with lots of beliefs. He was distracted enough to not notice Zafeiri in his way, until they bumped towards each other.

"Oh—I-I'm sorry!" Fraus apologized. 

“It’s fine.” He yawned.

“Are you okay?”

“Uh- yeah. You don’t need to worry.”

“Oh.” He scratched the back of his neck. “Okay then.”

“I’m much more worried about you, though.” Zafeiri paused for a while.

 _Is something wrong about me?! Did I do something wrong before?? Am I weird??_ . Fraus thought. His heart raced as he kept on thinking of reasons on why Zafeiri would say something like that. He didn’t remember anything, or had anything that came in mind. They were on friendly terms with each other, not much. About three years of friendship, and it was going down to waste in a second. _Maybe something’s on my face? Maybe I actually have a rash? Maybe I-_

“Why are you not wearing a top?”

_Oh. So that’s what he was worried about._

“Well… it was a pretty hot day today,” Fraus explained. He tried to avoid eye contact as he talked to him. “N-Nothing much to say, I guess?”

To his (pleasant) surprise, Zafeiri came closer. Then he rested his head on his pectorals. He hummed as his hands went up to wrap around the taller man’s neck. Fraus was sure that his face was the deep shade of rouge.

“Your bosoms are so soft, you know? They’re like the pillows from my old house,” He heard him say, but he’s not sure if he heard it right. All he knew was that he felt _extremely_ flustered and flushed.

“Are you still sleepy?” He asked.

“Mmm…” Zafeiri buried his head further. “Yeah.”

“Then sleep more.”

“No.”

“Why not?”

He looked up.

“I want to spend some more time with you.”

Fraus felt like a volcano about to explode. He swore he felt his tail wagging hard.

“R-Real-ly?” A small smile curved from his lips.

“Yep.”

"T-Then let's do something else."

* * *

The sun's warmth was pleasant to feel. The trees provided enough shade, and the wind was there to cool them. The clothes Fraus wore felt comfortable, and perfect for the weather. It didn’t make him feel too hot, nor too cold. Just the right fit, and he loved it. Zafeiri on the other hand, his outfit looked comfortable. He never complained about it.

They strolled around the area. Mother doesn't allow them to go beyond 150 meters away from the cabin. The trees were marked with druidic symbols when they reached 150 meters. It was quite boring, and awkward for them. Fraus expected that they'd be talking more, but he speculated that his shyness was a contributing factor. All they did so far was pick some flowers and talk about the weather. It was until Zafeiri began to walk beyond the 150th meter mark.

"You shouldn't go there," Fraus told him, yet he didn't stop.

"Why not?" 

"Because it's dangerous out there."

Zafeiri looked at him in the eye, a grim look spread across his face. It scared him to see his best friend like that, since he knew he wouldn't be following anyway.

"Wouldn't it be more exciting if we went beyond it?" he asked, "it's fun to break a few rules, and besides, it's not like shit's going to kill us. All we've seen are deers and all."

Fraus gulped. "It's still… dangerous. We live in one of the deepest parts of the forest."

"But if anything happens, you'll use your powers to protect me, right? You can shape-shift at least, and manipulate plants."

"Uhh…" Fraus paused. He was right, he _is_ able to help. Yet it felt so wrong to just disobey the rules. They broke some before, but never this one. He just had a feeling that something wrong might happen. "I can."

"Then we'll be safe." Zafeiri smiled. "Let's go then!"

But Fraus wasn't in the mood to smile. He felt guilty for doing this. He just sighed and walked beside him. 

Zafeiri hummed a short song while they walked, looking content. Nothing has happened yet, just a few birds and deers. Yet to Fraus, it felt off. He tried to tell it, but was shut down immediately. With every sound, with every step, his anxiety settled in more.

 _Maybe we should go back_ , he hoped. Even so, he realized that wouldn’t happen. Then suddenly, at the corner of his eye, a shadowy figure showed up. But then it disappeared shortly. It had eyes of pure white, with the body of a black flame. He immediately had to warn him.

“Zafeiri-”

“No, we won’t be going back. You’re just such a mood-killer.” He snapped.

“That’s not what I meant-”

“Then what is it this time?!” Zafeiri shouted, “gods, you always try to ruin the fucking mood.”

“I-” Fraus was taken aback. He didn’t know how to respond to his outrage. He felt weak for not being able to stand up for himself. He just stood silent, and accepted it.”

“If you don’t want to go with me, then that’s fine. I don’t care anymore.”

Then he walked away, further into the forest.

Fraus was left alone.

* * *

Bonus drawing!


	2. Agonizing Terror

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fraus found Zafeiri at a clearing after he heard a scream. What awaited them was an enemy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I overestimated my abilities as a writer. I thought I'd finish this at the same month I published the 1st chapter (September 2020). But of course I was fucking wrong. I just forced myself to finish this, so the second half is probably shitty. Enjoy!

Fraus collapsed right beside a tree trunk; every part of his body felt cumbersome. His friend left him, just to pursue something else. His hands shook intensely, while cold beads of sweat spread across his forehead. His face flushed hot, his vision blurred, and tears rolled down his cheeks. He didn't care if worms and bugs started to crawl up to him. His mind was focused on one thing: he had failed as a friend. His breath was shaky as he whimpered, the one rope that tried to keep himself together broke, losing all of his control. He thought that if he hadn't intervened with Zafeiri, maybe he wouldn't be thrown away like that. Zafeiri’s voice resonated within his head, which reminded him more of his mistake. If he had just complied with everything and became carefree like him, this wouldn't have happened. He felt hollow inside like  _ something _ died within him; he felt cold, he felt empty. He had nothing.

Suddenly, a strong gust of wind blew towards his direction. The trees swayed as birds flew away. Deers, squirrels, and other animals ran from the source, to somewhere far. The ground rumbled beneath, while they left, but a few stayed, which were a small, fluffy fox, a fawn, and a hummingbird. He didn't notice them at first until they came closer to him. The fox hopped into his lap, then cuddled with him. The fawn nudged him softly with its nose, and the bird rested on his horns.

_ It must be because I'm a druid. Nearly one. Or maybe I'm just close with them. _ He thought. 

Although he was still enduring his solitude, their presence greatly comforted him. Their gentleness soothed him as he cried his remaining tears out. He petted the fawn and the fox; their furs are soft and calming. He let the bird nest quietly on his horns. Soon, he seemed to be much more relaxed than before, however, he still felt nervous, infuriated, and empty. 

_ Just a bit more, then maybe I'll feel better. Zafeiri will be safe anyway.  _ He thought, in an attempt to relieve himself.

But he turned out to be wrong.

The fox, fawn, and the bird left all of a sudden. He felt like his heart jumped out of his chest when he looked at his right side. A veil oozing out; its color is so dark that even with his night vision ability, he wouldn't be able to see through it.

_ This can't be right. It's the shadow thing, isn't it? _

Fraus cried, worse than before.

_ Mother said she’ll arrive by sunset. It isn’t time yet. _

He stood up, dizzy. He had to save Zafeiri, he needed to. Though he's not sure if he really should. He felt he wasn't capable of doing this, and he was just thrown away by his friend.  _ It can't be right _ . But if he doesn't go, his Zafeiri might be dead. Fraus would be the only one there to save him, yet he chose not to. He wasn't sure if he really should dive in there or not. It's not safe, and he just couldn't do it. If only he had brought his staff with him, he'd have a suitable weapon with him. He hasn't done the ritual yet. Plus, he's just… not in the right mindset to do it yet. 

He was stuck in an ultimatum.

The more he had to think, the more the darkness spread. He has never encountered this kind of thing before, not even once. Yet, it brought to him a sense of familiarity and nostalgia. He felt like his body was being pulled, even though he wasn't in reality. It was strange, but that made him make his final decision: He'll go in it. 

He was worried about what would happen, though. He took one step, then another. He perceived that he didn't really feel  _ that _ scared. So he ran until it consumed him.

Within that void, the environment looked  _ very  _ different. It looked like it was night, without the fireflies. The only source of light was from the sky, but it was still quite dim. There were no animals in sight, not even bugs or insects. The plants didn’t feel “alive” at all. They didn’t sway with the wind, they were just stationary. It felt so  _ lifeless _ . Dread clawed right on his stomach as he traversed further. 

"Go away!" A voice resonated in his ears. It was familiar to him,

_ Zafeiri.  _

He ran towards the source. Adrenaline rushed through his veins while he avoided every branch or bush. The closer he was, the darker the forest became. Soon, it turned into total darkness. However, the voices grew louder and much more clear. It gave him some hope -- hope that he’ll be able to save Zafeiri.

Then the voices turned into shouts of terror. And the view changed.

There was a clearing, and there, he saw Zafeiri. He lied down on the grass, trembling. In front of him, was a floating, shadowy spirit, with two white circles as eyes. It resembled a fire of some sort, and it made him sweat. This was the only area so far that wasn't affected by the darkness. 

"Fraus!" Zafeiri cried out. His left arm was twisted up and broken, the only limb which took great damage. Other limbs had lots of bruises, even deep scars which would take months to completely heal. He forced himself up from the ground, but with great difficulty.

"Get out, run away. I'm fine," he shouted. He hissed as the twist in his arm sent up painful electrifying sensations. He leaned against a nearby tree trunk, the pain still going on.

Fraus wanted to run over there, to help him. He was still his friend -- the love of his life, but his cowardness prevented him from taking a step further.

The spirit turned toward Fraus. It paid no mind to its previous victim anymore, instead took great interest in the demon.

" _ You are the king… _ " it said. Its voice was more like a fading hissing whisper, with grotesque grumbling before it spoke.

"Get away from me!" he cried. He wanted to fight back, to save his friend, yet he knew he wasn’t brave enough to do it. He wasn’t strong enough without his quarterstaff, and he could only let himself cry.

"... _ but surely your actions don’t suggest that… _ " It taunted, with a disappointed face. 

"Just go!"

"... _ perhaps it was the right choice to let your family burn? They gave birth to such a terrified son after all. _ "

The spirit let out a laugh, then vanished into the background. The clearing started to get covered in dim light. They can only see so far as 2 meters ahead of them. His heart lurched -- such fear was too much, the world seemed like it was spinning.

Fraus fell to the ground, then vomited onto the grass. He couldn't stand, he couldn't do anything. He wanted to do something, but all this terror stopped him from doing so. Zafeiri screamed his name, though that wouldn’t help. They were powerless. They felt weak, as they came to the same conclusion:

It was no normal spirit, nor was it even a spirit at all. 

Instead, it was a demon.

" _You are the meekest demon I've ever met,"_ the voice from the darkness jeered _, "you let me walk into the depths of your soul. You let me strike despair into it._ _Once I return, I will tell stories about your failure. The Land Beneath will whisper and laugh at you. You will be remembered for your incompetence.”_

He closed his mouth, gagging. If he remembered correctly, Mother said that demons like that were in the lowest tier. They seek out power, so they can evolve and hopefully reach the highest tier.

_ Despite these demon spirits being part of the weakest, it’s strong towards inexperienced people like me. _

For a few minutes, he sat there, head hung down onto his thighs. Sometimes, he’d hear the rustle of grass, but often, only the sound of distorted whispers plagued him. He did nothing, afraid of the demon which terrorized him.

“Fraus?"

He looked up and saw Zafeiri. Up close, he could see the many bruises and scars spread on his face. He still held that ethereal beauty across his face.

Fraus grabbed his arm on impulse, then hugged him tight in his arms. The touch of another person provided him comfort. He wanted a hug, and what's better than being with the love of your life? Yet it didn't stop his breakdown; he cried all over the shoulder of Zafeiri. He hugged him tighter and tighter, never letting go.

“Are you okay?” Zafeiri asked.

“Does it matter? You’re here with me anyway,” he muttered. He never cared if dirt stuck to his face, or if his vomit stained his pants. He never cared if the walls of darkness started to close in. He never cared if the body warmth of Zafeiri started to become… warmer?

Heat stung his arms as he pulled back, only to see Zafeiri’s form drowned in a bright fire. Only a sinister smile was left on its face as it lunged towards Fraus.

Everything around him was yellow. An intense, bright, yellow. It severely blinded him; his eyes weren’t equipped to handle large amounts of bright light, like humans. He screamed as a sudden flash of heat seared his arm, body, and face. He tried to push himself to do something -- anything against that creature, but he gave out. 

_ Of course, how could I do it? _

The colors of red, orange, and yellow all flashed around him. He couldn’t comprehend anything anymore. It’s too much for him to handle. He couldn’t do anything, not without bawling his tears out and puking. 

Memories flashed before him. Familiar images, familiar faces. He remembered, but he wished he didn't. His eyes burst into tears. All the pain, the heat—he didn't want it. He never wanted it. The heat became hotter, the flames bigger. It knew it. He wanted to run, to go, to just never come back. But he couldn't; it was impossible. An ear-piercing cry is heard. It deafened him. A cry for help, a cry for someone to just save him, a cry for being a failure. He didn't realize it was his, until his throat began to hurt. 

All of his strength was gone. It was too powerful, it held him down. His body shook in horror. The fear of being burnt to ashes overwhelmed him. He didn't want to end up like those bodies. He didn't want to end up alone. He didn’t want Mother and Zafeiri to be sad.

The fire became hotter—it burnt his skin. The pain stung too much. The more he moved, the more he was hurt. It was too bright for him to look. Too hot for him to resist. All the warmth drained out of his body, then suddenly, everything became dark.

The last thing he saw was a thin arm around the creature. The last thing he heard was Zafeiri’s voice screaming.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Originally, it wasn't supposed to be a cliffhanger. I got too lazy, and I was already too demotivated to continue this, mostly due to school and other shit. Ending is up to you. I'd probably write a follow-up and post it as an extra chapter. Of course it won't happen in the near future, because school won't allow that. I wish I had enough motivation to make an actual, complete chapter. Completing this is already a decent achievement that I'm glad I got.
> 
> I'd actually love to write more stories expanding on my fantasy world, but I'm afraid It would mostly be half-assed, or never finished. 
> 
> Extras:  
> chapter titles and story title is tied together.  
> \- Passionate Love: You know how passion is described as like a warm flame? Yeah.  
> \- Agonizing Terror: Refers to Fraus's pyrophobia, which is evident here.

**Author's Note:**

> For the picture up there, I drew it so y'all can know how they look like bc I never really describe their appearance that much. The outfit they're wearing is their everyday fit btw. My art style has no ears, like Cinderella's. Oh and, Zafeiri's supposed to be skinnier (he doesn't eat that much meat as Fraus and isn't as fit.)
> 
> Fun Fact: Fraus and Zafeiri were originally D&D characters. Figured over time that I'll just put them into a modern setting since it's easier, also I got no D&D campaign to join :").
> 
> To add: Mother has no blood relations to Fraus, he just sees her as a mother figure since she adopted him.
> 
> If you're curious about their heights:
> 
> Fraus : 6'9 ft. (206 cm.)  
> Zafeiri: 5'4 ft. (163 cm.)


End file.
